LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV football (0-2/0-2) debuted in its spectacular new home at Allegiant Stadium on Halloween night and fell 37-19 to arch-rival UNR (2-0/2-0) in front of the 2,000 fans allowed by health officials – the first large-scale gathering in Southern Nevada since mid-March.
 
The Wolf Pack, who broke a two-game losing skid in the series, built a 24-12 lead at the break. After missing both a field goal and extra point in last week's opener, Daniel Gutierriez hit both of his field goal attempts to give the hosts their first six points.
 
After playing three quarterbacks in the first half alone last week, senior Max Gilliam went the distance behind center and finished with a completion percentage of 67.5
 
Senior running back Charles Williams ran for 99 yards, which moved him past Michael Morton (1978-81) into sixth place on UNLV's career list with 2,624.
 
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Quarterback Max Gilliam, making his ninth start as a Rebel, was coolly efficient, hitting 27 of 40 pass attempts for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
 
STAT OF THE GAME:
UNLV and UNR faced each other on Halloween – the anniversary of the Silver State joining the Union in 1864, for the first time in the series, which kicked off in 1969.
 
QUOTABLE:
"I'm proud of some of the improvement, but again we're not into moral victories. It's exciting to come into a great and amazing venue that people worked so hard to get us into, so we're really grateful for that. Allegiant Stadium is amazing and the people that put the blood, sweat and tears into putting this together did a phenomenal job to get this ready for all of us in a really tough time. So we're excited about that. But we're hurting.
-UNLV Head Coach Marcus Arroyo
 
REBEL NOTES:
-In its first game inside Allegiant Stadium, UNLV wore the same interlocking UN helmet decal that it wore when it opened its last home – Sam Boyd Stadium (then known as Las Vegas Stadium) on Oct. 23, 1971
-UNLV fell to 32-21 in home lid-lifters and saw its two-year win streak snapped
-The Wolf Pack earned the first three points in this year's Silver State Series presented by IBEW Local 401 and Nevada Donor Network. UNLV has won the annual all-encompassing competition between the two schools in seven of its eight years  
-Senior tight end Gio Fauolo Sr. finally made his debut in the second half after serving a 1.5 game suspension remaining from last year's finale in Reno
-Tyleek Collins' one-yard touchdown catch from Gilliam not only marked the first UNLV touchdown in its new home but also was his first score since leading the team with six TD receptions in 2018
-Gilliam played every down at QB but freshman WR Kyle Williams completed an attempt on a double pass for 15 yards to TE Noah Bean to become the fourth player to throw a pass for UNLV in the first two games
-WR Steve Jenkins caught a five-yard TD that was his second score in as many games
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS:
UNLV stays at home by hosting Fresno State next Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. PT in a game that will be shown nationally by CBS Sports Network.